Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy

I have watched my sister suffer from RSD for several months now, and it breaks my heart. She’s 45 years old, and I admire her tenacity for the bad days as well as her optimism on the good days. There are most days where you wouldn’t know that she is in constant pain because she puts on a brave front and lives her life as normally as she can.

The accident that changed it all

The car wreck that happened, it changed my sister’s life irrevocably. She was in the hospital for several months, and when she returned home, that’s when her hell started. Her pain was monumentally debilitating, and her family along with mine felt utterly helpless. None of the doctors knew what was wrong, and felt just as helpless as we did. My sister became a bitter and angry woman, lashing out everyone. No one could touch her, because the pain was unbearable. One accident changed everything.

Seeking help and fast

I immediately began researching and looking for answers for my sister. I wanted her better, to not be in pain and resume her life as normal. It took hours upon hours of looking for answers, but I finally found a specialist who could possibly help her. It was an answer to a prayer. Bribing my sister to let me take her, we traveled to see this doctor and what a blessing it turned out to be. The doctor was amazing, and she knew right away what was going on with my sister. Thus the diagnosis of RSD was official, and we could begin treatment.

My sister was back to normal

It took several weeks of trial and error with different medications, but after approximately a month, I had my sister back. I remember the day clear as crystal. I went over to my sister’s house for my daily visit, and she greeted me at the door. She hugged me, tightly and I couldn’t believe it. We broke down crying, and she finally vented everything she had been feeling for weeks to me. She felt herself again, and both of our families could breathe again.

Thankful for the amazing doctor

When the flare-ups began to happen, we were prepared because the doctor had warned us. We rallied around my sister when the flare-ups occurred, and the savored the good days and did as much as we could together. The bad days, as we came to call them, were difficult more so for my sister but we all included ourselves. She later would tell us how thankful she was for us.

Resuming life as normal as possible

I admire my sister, she’s my role model, and I try to model my behaviors after her. She rides her bike, is active with her kids and continues to bake and do crafts. She’s amazing, and I try to be just like her. She’s an incredibly brave woman, a warrior and doesn’t let RSD take her down. I will forever hate the accident that happened but am grateful for the doctor that helped us.

You Might Also Like

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a poorly understood condition in which a person experiences persistent severe and debilitating pain. Since this is a fairly unknown topic, OZRSD was set up to spread information, provide support and offer advice for anyone looking for help related to CRPS. Read more about our organization by clicking here.

About Us

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a poorly understood condition in which a person experiences persistent severe and debilitating pain. Since this is a fairly unknown topic, OZRSD was set up to spread information, provide support and offer advice for anyone looking for help related to CRPS. Read more about our organization by clicking here.